Chapter one
A nightmare wedding.
Elliott.
Today is a brand new day
Today, I will be a better person than I was yesterday.
Today, I will be ladylike and polite
Today, I will try not to imagine ripping someone's head off.
"These morning affirmations are ass." I commented, sinking lower into the brown leather couch I sat on.
"You've gotta keep working on them Elliott, just saying it doesn't make them happen" Dr Sybian, my therapist drawled out from across where I sat, folding her long legs, her brilliant green eyes still glued to my dream journal on her lap.
"Maybe if you change them, maybe I'll make an effort to be lady like and polite and not want to rip off heads" I muttered under my breath, picking at a loose fray on my jeans.
She didn't reply, although I knew she heard me. She hears everything.
I folded my arms, focusing my gaze on the reading blonde infront of me, on her straight as a board back, her crossed tanned legs, her gold rimmed glasses, her black work dress that accentuated her delicate curves.
Sybian was a real lady.
"Do you mind repeating your affirmations for me Elliott?" She asked, her eyes still on my dream journal.
I bit back the curse on my tongue and indulged her, saying the words that had been drilled in my head by the stiff doctor in front of me.
"Great" she remarked as I finished, snapping my journal shut and placing it on the small glass topped table beside her, her shiny jade eyes on me now, serious.
"So Elliott" she started, twirling her pen between her long fingers "Did you make any progress concerning your affirmations this week?"
I tapped my chin "Umm! I was polite to Forrest's grandma at the rehearsal dinner on Wednesday"
"And how did that work out?"
I frowned as I remembered that cranky old dingbat's crusty face "Not so good. She called me a bitch"
"And what did you do?"
"I wanted to curse her out but I flipped her off instead"
I grinned as Sybian let out a little sigh, scribbling down something on the black clip board she always carries. I wonder what she's writing.
"Well at least you didn't blow up, You're making progress in controlling your anger" she said sagely
I nodded, deciding not to tell her how I spat in that old dingbat's chicken at dinner.
"I know control is hard to master but you have to try and be determined for it to work" she droned on and I nodded again
I've been battling with my anger issues for years now. Deciding to seek help was a tough decision on its own but after I met Forrest, I decided I didn't want to be who I was before, I wanted to be better
For him
For me.
Dr Sybian has been a great help and I couldn't be more grateful to her.
"Okay" she paused and picked up my dream journal again "Lets talk about this week's dreams"
The dream Journal was her idea obviously, she tries to pyschoanalyize me using my most recent dreams, trying to get a feel of my mind.
"You've been having more wet dreams about your ex-husband. I think we should talk on this"
My face grew red, the heat climbing up my neck could roast a chicken "What's there to talk about Doc? I had a dream that my ex was fucking the life out of me. That's it"
"That's not it if you've had the same dream 32 times in the last month" she stated quietly and watched me as I squirmed around in my seat, embarrassed
Sometimes I wished she didn't know all my deepest darkest secrets.
"And they all have the same pattern, with him on top" she sat up straighter "Is it because you would like him to take control of your life again? Much like your past sex life, Or you'd like someone to dominate you again?"
I stared at her blankly, It was sometimes amazing how Dr Sybian Cross's mind worked. Her conclusions and theories about me are sometimes farfetched but scarily accurate.
I took a deep breath "I don't know, its just that..." I trailed off, embarrassment getting the best of me.
How do you tell your therapist that you miss your ex-husband's cock?
She scribbled down something on her clipboard before looking back at me "How many years has it been since you've last seen him?"
"12 years" I answered, deciding not to add the numerous times in the dead of night when I googled him.
"And perhaps because your wedding is so close, you're reminiscing about the past, your past marriage as you are about to enter into a brand new one"
I shrugged
"Do you still harbour some feelings against him? Good or bad?"
I sat up straight, unfolding my arms and placing my palms flat against my thighs "Some, mostly bad"
She adjusted her glasses "So, you're still mad at him?"
"Well yea"
"Does Forrest know?"
I furrowed my brow "Know about what?"
"The dreams Elliott"
I let out a little cough at her question "Does he know about the sexual fantasies I still have about my ex-husband?" I paused before answering sardonically "Why on God's green earth would I tell him that?"
"Why won't you tell him?"
"Because he'll flip the fuck out"
She paused and twirled her pen "Does that mean you love him?"
There it was, the dreaded question
She asks me this question every session we had, after I mistakenly confessed to her that I was afraid I couldn't fall in love with Forrest after what I went through with Kain
I knew I was being selfish because I knew Forrest was deeply in love with me, I want to love him as much as he loves me but I couldn't
Being with Kain damaged me beyond repair.
I knew Forrest would never hurt me like Kain did and is much more deserving of my love but I find it so hard to give myself to him, to love him with all my heart like I did Kain.
Don't get me wrong, I loved Forrest, he's an angel in disguise, an absolute blessing but I didn't love him as much as I loved my ex back in the day. I couldn't conjure up that level of intensity I felt for Kain and it scared me shit less.
"I love Forrest..." I stared but she cut me off.
"But not as much as you loved your ex-husband"
I nodded silently
We sat in silence for a minute as I stared at my scruffy boots
"Our session is over Elliott, I'll see you next week" Sybian suddenly said and my eyes shot up to her
"Not next week, I'll be on my honeymoon" I said quietly
She glanced at the gold watch on her slim wrist "Yes, I forgot. The week after that then?"
I nodded and stood, grabbing my purse beside me "Will I be seeing you at the wedding?"
Sybian shook her head "I won't be attending"
I blinked "Okay then" I breathed out and started to the door but her voice stopped me
"Please don't rip anyone's head off during your honeymoon"
I flashed her a grin over my shoulder before sliding out of the door, shutting it solidly behind me.
"Are you sure you want to do your makeup yourself?" Susan asked for the umpteenth time and it took everything in me not to curse her out.
Instead, I smiled politely "Yes Susan, I'm sure"
I turned back to the mirror I sat in front of and rolled my eyes discreetly.
Today was the day, the day I finally get to tie the knot.
The beginning of my own happily ever after. Finally.
But it wasn't even midday yet and I wanted to rip my hair out. Partially because of the worried looking red head hovering behind me.
Don't get me wrong, I loved my sister-in-law but she could be a bitch sometimes.
I glanced at her through the mirror as I dabbed on some concealer, Jeez! She needs to get that stick out of her ass.
"Susan stop worrying, go drink some champagne" I advised but instead of heading to the ice bucket where an expensive ass bottle of bubbly was cooling in the corner of the wide bridal suite we sat in, she collapsed into a chair behind me, rearranging her turquoise blue bridesmaid dress around her slim frame.
I hated that dress.
"I can't, Champagne makes me gassy" she remarked and I decided to just ignore her
My wedding was in an hour and oddly, I was kinda calm unlike some brides.
I glanced at Susan again through the mirror, my eyes glazing over her smooth and silky auburn hair pulled back from her tanned face into an elegant chignon and those grey eyes so similar to her brother's, not to mention that banging figure and those long as hell legs.
Easily, Susan trumped me in the beauty department. Obviously I can't beat her model like figure with my slightly chunky frame and my muffin top. I don't even have exotic features despite me being one quarter Mexican, all I had was long, limp ash brown hair and dull blue eyes.
But today, with my hair pulled into an elegant up do and the dramatic smoky eye I was currently perfecting, I felt more on par with dear Susie.
And besides my dress was much more flattering than hers.
"Isn't that eye shadow a bit too heavy?" She piped up behind me and I groaned inwardly.
I don't think I can keep up being nice for much longer with Susan in the same room with me.
"Susan" I started, turning away from the mirror to meet her eyes, summoning up my last dregs of tolerance
Don't curse her out!
"Why don't you go get me some whiskey from the bar downstairs? And maybe check up on Forrest?" I asked very politely, a fake nice smile on my face.
Fuck you, Dr Sybian and your stupid ass affirmations. I can't even give this worrywart the tongue lashing she deserves .
"Sure, I can do that. Forrest must be so nervous" she said as she stood.
Great, she was leaving "Good, you can go calm him down"
She nodded "I'll be right back"
"Take your time dear" I said lightly
When the door closed behind her, I almost did a happy jig. Finally, I was alone
My phone beeped on the vanity in front of me, interrupting my happy thoughts. I peered at the screen and let out a small chuckle.
It was another message from Langston, my best friend.
'How's my favourite bride?' It read.
I unlocked my phone and typed out a reply 'Oddly calm and craving whiskey'
Langston and I met a few years ago, while I was trying to get my GED. Lang was the unfortunate teacher assigned to the class and after we bonded over simultaneous equations, we've been basically inseparable.
Well until a few months ago when he decided to go on a backpacking trip through Europe to recapture his fading youth and to get over his nasty divorce from his bitch of a wife. He was still on said trip, that was why he wasn't here, making bad jokes and trying to distract me from murdering Susan.
My phone beeped again and a picture of my best friend holding a bottle of Jack Daniels and smiling widely popped up on my screen.
I chuckled, studying his happy smile. Lang was certainly a looker, with those bright jade eyes and shiny blond hair and those fucking dimples. He was basically catnip to pussy.
But seemed his ex-wife wasn't satisfied having a doting Greek god all to herself, instead she played the Dick field outside, fucking strange guys in their matrimonial bed while Lang taught his students.
But that was months ago and Lang was in the process of rediscovering himself and I couldn't be happier for him. It didn't matter if he missed my wedding.
'God, you can't imagine how much I want that' I replied
A minute passed and my phone beeped again 'Sorry, none for you ;) '
I chuckled 'How's Barcelona?'
I was in the middle of smearing on some blood red lipstick when he replied
'Hot. But damn relaxing. I caught on some valuable beach time, you can't imagine how tanned I am now'
'I have some vauge idea. So are you giving it good to some Barcelona hotties?'
He sent back a laughing emoji 'Too soon sweetie but soon though'
Reasonable. He should get over that Cindy bitch quick.
'So I can't even get a pic of the bride?' He messaged and I rolled my eyes playfully before opening my camera and snapping off a quick picture.
'Cute!!!, Damn Forrest is a fucking lucky guy' he replied and I let out a little laugh.
'Thanks Lang. I miss you so much. I wish you were here'
'Me too. I'll be back soon babe, don't worry'
I signed off and looked at myself in the mirror. I did look amazing.
I looked kick ass.
I stood and floated in the direction of my dress that was draped over the arm of the wide couch in the middle of the room.
I dressed slowly, drawing the lace sleeves up my arms and setting the low neckline right. After zipping up, I turned to the mirror again.
Damn!
Jeez! I was really getting married today. I was going to become Mrs Ashford.
It wasn't so long ago when I was Mrs Griffin.... I shook my head, I wasn't supposed to think about my past
My past was behind me and behind me it will stay.
A knock sounded on the door and a low voice floated in "Room service!"
I blinked, I didn't order anything. Maybe it was my whiskey.
"Come in" I said and watched as the door swung inwards, exposing the person behind the door who was most certainly not 'Room service'
My mouth immediately went dry, my legs shook underneath me as the ghost of my past strode into my bridal suite and shut the door soildly behind him.
What the fuck?!
Kain turned to me, a wide smile on his face "Long time no see Elly"
To be continued......
Continued from the previous part.... "Come in" I said and watched as the door swung inwards, exposing the person behind the door who was most certainly not 'Room service' My mouth immediately went dry, my legs shook underneath me as the ghost of my past strode into my bridal suite and shut the door soildly behind him. What the fuck?! Kain turned to me, a wide smile on his face "Long time no see Elly" From across the room, I could see the changes 12 years had brought on Kain Griffin. He was buffer, more muscular, his pitch black hair curled around his face like a noir curtain, his cold, dark eyes had a few smile lines around them. He still sported that gold nose ring that curved around his left nostril snugly, his cherry red lips pulled back to expose his perfect pearly teeth in a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He took a single step forward, drawing my attention to his clothes. He wore coal bl
Chapter two. A blast from the past. Kain. I blinked at the hand gun pointed between my eyes, raising my hands over my head slowly. The hand that held the gun firmly to my forehead was tanned and petite, definitely feminine. I looked upwards at my captor and immediately I felt my stomach twist. Fiery blue eyes stared down at me unflinchingly out of a face that was angelic but had a touch of the devil. Ash brown hair cut into a severe pixie cut, eyes that shone with blue fire and a pair of ruby lips that were sneering at me right now. Fuck! Those lips. I can imagine them wrapped around my cock. She was easily the best thing I've seen in ages. "Move or make a sound and I'll splatter your brains all over this workshop" She said, her voice husky, a total contrast to her angel face. Who would've thought tha
Continued from the previous part....... Present. I closed the door firmly behind me and leaned heavily against it, blowing out the breath I held in. Fuck! I felt like hitting something, no someone Preferably the bitch of a man that was about to marry my girl. My Elliott I gritted my teeth and pushed off the door, stalking down the hallway. Fuck! She looked so fucking good, so goddamn good. So damn fuckable. With those red lips......and those tits. I felt my cock stirring and I groaned inwardly. Its been so long. Too fucking long, but she still makes me so horny, like a virgin teenager. A deep buried wave of possession crested and crashed over me and I felt my fists curl. I can't Elliott slip away just when I found her again. I don't care what I have to do, or who I have to kill to keep her. She was mine.
Chapter three. Things we do for lust. Elliott Metallica pounded in my ears as my hands and feet moved methodically, skating around the smooth tar, the wheels underneath my feet gliding smoothly as I speared and deposited trash into the black garbage bag I carried. Community service in the height of the South Carolina summer is so wrong, but what’s a bitch to do? Especially when it court mandated community service. I sighed and wiped sweat off my brow, this sucks! Eleven weeks of community service because of that shit Wesley Eckhart and his stupid red Honda. Jesus! When I get my hands on his slimy self, I will rip his fucking balls off and use them as ping pong balls. Fuck him! I speared at an empty plastic bottle hard, imagining Wesley’s disgusting face on it. Yep! Wesley is at the top of my murder list. Number two is the main person who
Continued from the previous part..... Elliott My heart was in my stomach as strode slowly down that flower strewn aisle, not because my future husband was smiling so widely at me from the altar, not even because somehow my shoes were a tad bit unstable and I could fall at any moment, or because everyone in the goddamn hall was staring at me. No, the reason why I felt like throwing up was because my ex-husband, who I have been having really erotic dreams about for almost two months and who just thirty minutes ago, appeared in my bridal suite and more or less told me he wanted me back, was sitting rather regally at the back row in my wedding hall, his black, cold eyes fixed on me with the brightest smile I have ever seen on him stretching his lips. I blinked. He was smiling? He was happy I was about to marry another man infront of him? Was he planni
Continued from the previous part....... The words couldn’t come out of my mouth because my heart raced like the wheels of a sports car but I forced them out “You wouldn’t….you can’t” I swallowed and tried again, this time fear evident in my words “You can’t kill him” He laughed “I’m sure I can El, I do have a gun now” he paused and motioned to his head with the barrel “and I am psychotic after all” I have to calm him, I have to take that gun from him before he does something drastic that would leave me the newest widow on the block. I stepped towards him, my arms outstretched in a pacifying manner “You need to calm down Kain, please before something happens” He snorted “I’m the calmest I’ve ever been” My eyes darted to the gun he still held tightly, I should never have brought that thing. “Okay then, how about you give me the gun and we’ll talk about this like civilized adults?” He
Chapter Four A honeymoon affair. Kain Fletcher’s gym I sighed as I continued staring up at the clearly old sign hanging over the decrepit store front. A gym huh? This looked more like a crack house than a gym. Seth said she was here? Here? Was he lying? I shook my head, he wouldn’t lie to me, he knew how important finding her was to me. After the last day of a rather blissful stint of community service with Elliott Frost, she disappeared off the face of the earth. I haven’t seen her since that day she gave me the best blowjob of my life in the bathroom of the courthouse right after signing off with our service officer. Fuck! I can still remember her pretty, full, pink lips wrapped around my cock and that mischievous gl
Continued from the previous part....... Elliott I sighed and brushed my hair from my face, turning to glance at my sleeping husband beside me. Jeez! How long is this flight gonna to take? I hate being cramped up in planes for too long and it feels like an eternity since we took off from O’hare international airport. I can’t take this for much longer. I glanced at Forrest’s sleeping face again, slightly jealous at his ease. I wish I could sleep during flights. Gosh, I wish I could sleep at all without dreaming about….him Fucking Kain Griffin. I blew out another breath and shook my head at myself, I can’t believe myself. Last night was a mistake and after crying my eyes out in the shower after we got home, I got in bed with my new husband a
Continued from the previous part. ~ She was daydreaming again… Dreaming, unrealistically. So unreal. A memory, a long forgotten memory. Kain was smiling as he opened the door to their new apartment with a flourish, pride evident in his movements as he held her hand and pulled her into the empty room. “I know this isn’t the apartment by the ocean we wanted” he started, wrapping his arms around her, his deep melodic voice by her ear, sending shivers down her spine “but its ours, our little home” Elliott looked around, at the obviously old but sturdy walls painted a soothing pale yellow, almost like an egg yolk, at the empty wooden floors in need of a firm polishing, at the wide windows that offered a nice overhead view of the town and the dark ocean bordering it,
continued from the previous part..... “I think I’m depressed” Dr Sybian Greer peered up at her patient, her scribbling slowing to a stop. She immediately asked, more of a reflex action than true concern “Why do you think you’re depressed Elliott?” Elliott took a deep breath, fiddling with the frayed end of her jean jacket, it was cold in the doctor’s office, it seemed she left the Ac on full blast despite the light snow falling outside. She shrugged, a pathetic rise and fall of her shoulders “I feel like I’m depressed” Sybian sighed and clicked off her pen, giving the forlorn woman her full attention “Depression is not something to be taken lightly Elliott” Silence fell over the pair until she spoke up again, her voice a teary whisper “I’m not happy doctor” she paused to sniffle, wiping at the tears
Chapter Sixteen. Back to Black. Toxic: very harmful or unpleasant in a pervasive or insidious way. Regret: a feeling of sadness, repentance or disappointment over an occurrence or something that one has done or failed to do. Elliott didn’t know what she was doing anymore. She was lost and it was showing. She kept getting stares as she stood stoically in the middle of the cosmetics aisle of the supermarket, her dull eyes fixed on a box of Trojan extra large condoms. She had been staring at the box of condoms for five minutes now, trying to decide whether to get them or not. The basket in her hand contained a gallon of milk, a box of Coco puffs, some grapes, a new razor and a box of brunette hair dye. She came to the store on a whim, being alone
continued from the last part....ElliottI knew the bed I laid in wasn’t mine, I knew it even before I was fully awake, I knew it wasn’t Forrest’s familiar citrus scent that surrounded me, no this scent was much heavier, musky and spicy, teasing my senses like a long forgotten memory.I knew someone who smelt like this, who smelt this good.Consciousness caught up to me and I immediately let out a groan as the all too dear headache rolled from the back of my head to settle just between my temples.My mouth felt like sandpaper and my limbs ached from being twisted under me as I sleptI cracked one eye open and then the other, my gaze meeting tangled navy sheets. Wait a minute! I don’t own silk sheetsI sat up too quickly, caugh
Chapter Fifteen. A finalized divorce. Elliott. I held his hand tightly in mine as we strode down the sidewalk together, the crisp, slightly cool night air blew against my skin, ruffling my hair, bringing with it the scent of the sea. The tapping of my heels echoed on the asphalt as we continued walking, the comfortable silence stretching between us as we went. I wanted to ask him where he was taking me and why it was so far away from the apartment but I couldn’t find it in me to disrupt this peaceful stretch of stillness around us. I sucked in a breath and squeezed his fingers in mine slightly. Admittedly, I was getting a tad bit impatient. I had been waiting all day for this surprise. It was as if he could sense my agitation, he glanced at me, his eyes twinkling in the soft light emanating from the lamp posts
continued from the previous part...... Kain. These paperwork were making my eyes cross. I blew out a huge sigh before flipping to the next page of the stack of documents I held. This is so exhausting. This will be the last time I lose a round of rock, paper, scissors to Seth. That stupid motherfucker. I reached for my mug and sipped at some coffee, this was basically my routine now. Staying late at the office staring at an ever increasing stack of paperwork until my eyes cross and I call it a night at usually 3am So far for an exciting life. Damn! I still remember when I was 23, all those wild parties. Seems like a lifetime ago. I ran my hand through my disheveled hair and closed my eyes for a few seconds. I wonder
Chapter Fourteen. Drunken memories. Kain. The door closed behind me, the sound echoing around the silent apartment. Elliott was probably in our room getting ready. I let out a huge sigh, appreciating the silence and loneliness of my surroundings for a minute before I started towards my room. I lied I lied to Elliott about my job. Staring into her blue eyes, my chest constricted and I just said the first thing that came out of my mouth, construction really?? That was so far from the truth. The truth was so much worse. I couldn’t tell her, I couldn’t tell her that I was a thief, a cheap, petty burglar that preyed on rich people’s empty homes. Seth was the person who brought it up first. He said he had a couple guys who made it big, robbing the houses up on the estate hill and they were looking t
continued from the previous part.... Elliott I stood in my underwear, surveying my closet, looking over my countless number of jeans, plaid shirts and tank tops and silently cursing myself for having not one sexy party dress. I groaned when I noted the time, it was 7:45pm, and Echo would be here in fifteen minutes. I can’t wear jeans to go dancing. Sighing I sifted through my closet, pushing apart jeans after jeans until a black sequined fabric at the very back of my closet caught my eye. What is that? I pulled the dress out and my eyes widened. I remember this dress. I bit my lip as I took in the black shimmering fabric of the strappy, bodycon dress with a very high thigh slit. I still had this dress? This was the dress I wore out with Kain on my birthday all those yea
Chapter Thirteen. Drunk with my friends. Elliott. I woke up to the sun shining onto my face through the window and an empty space beside me. I groaned as I felt around blindly for Kain. He wasn’t there, his pillow cold. After we made love again, we fell asleep, snuggled into each other. I sat up and looked around our messy bedroom, blinking the sleep from my eyes. The wall clock across the bed told me it was just 11:30am, that I had been asleep for five hours and it was still my birthday. I smirked, I was finally 20. Weirdly, I didn’t feel any different but I did feel happy. Birthdays were always my favourite occasion, I loved the fuss and the presents and the cake. God! I loved the cake. Ever since my parents and sister died, I haven’t found the zeal to celebrate my birthday because it just reminded me of how alone I was, that I h